We Are Not These Bodies

dehī nityam avadhyo ‘yaṁ
dehe sarvasya bhārata
tasmāt sarvāṇi bhūtāni
na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi

“O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body is eternal and can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any creature.” (Bhagavad-gītā 2.30)plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 2.30

O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body is eternal and can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any creature. ¶

The very first step in self-realization is realizing one’s identity as separate from the body. “I am not this body but am spirit soul” is an essential realization for anyone who wants to transcend death and enter into the spiritual world beyond. It is not simply a matter of saying “I am not this body,” but of actually realizing it. This is not as simple as it may seem at first. Although we are not these bodies but are pure consciousness, somehow or other we have become encased within the bodily dress. If we actually want the happiness and independence that transcend death, we have to establish ourselves and remain in our constitutional position as pure consciousness. ¶

Living in the bodily conception, our idea of happiness is like that of a man in delirium. Some philosophers claim that this delirious condition of bodily identification should be cured by abstaining from all action. Because these material activities have been a source of distress for us, they claim that we should actually stop these activities. Their culmination of perfection is in a kind of Buddhistic nirvāṇa, in which no activities are performed. Buddha maintained that due to a combination of material elements, this body has come into existence, and that somehow or other if these material elements are separated or dismantled, the cause of suffering is removed. If the tax collectors give us too much difficulty because we happen to possess a large house, one simple solution is to destroy the house. However, Bhagavad-gītā indicates that this material body is not all in all. Beyond this combination of material elements, there is spirit, and the symptom of that spirit is consciousness. ¶

Consciousness cannot be denied. A body without consciousness is a dead body. As soon as consciousness is removed from the body, the mouth will not speak, the eye will not see, nor the ears hear. A child can understand that. It is a fact that consciousness is absolutely necessary for the animation of the body. What is this consciousness? Just as heat or smoke are symptoms of fire, so consciousness is the symptom of the soul. The energy of the soul, or self, is produced in the shape of consciousness. Indeed, consciousness proves that the soul is present. This is not only the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā but the conclusion of all Vedic literature. ¶

The impersonalist followers of Śaṅkarācārya, as well as the Vaiṣṇavas following in the disciplic succession from Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, acknowledge the factual existence of the soul, but the Buddhist philosophers do not. The Buddhists contend that at a certain stage the combination of matter produces consciousness, but this argument is refuted by the fact that although we may have all the constituents of matter at our disposal, we cannot produce consciousness from them. All the material elements may be present in a dead man, but we cannot revive that man to consciousness. This body is not like a machine. When a part of a machine breaks down, it can be replaced, and the machine will work again, but when the body breaks down and consciousness leaves the body, there is no possibility of our replacing the broken part and rejuvenating the consciousness. The soul is different from the body, and as long as the soul is there, the body is animate. But there is no possibility of making the body animate in the absence of the soul. ¶

Because we cannot perceive the soul by our gross senses, we deny it. Actually there are so many things that are there which we cannot see. We cannot see air, radio waves, or sound, nor can we perceive minute bacteria with our blunt senses, but this does not mean they are not there. By the aid of the microscope and other instruments, many things can be perceived which had previously been denied by the imperfect senses. Just because the soul, which is atomic in size, has not been perceived yet by senses or instruments, we should not conclude that it is not there. It can, however, be perceived by its symptoms and effects. ¶

In Bhagavad-gītā Śrī Kṛṣṇa points out that all of our miseries are due to false identification with the body. ¶

mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ
āgamāpāyino ‘nityās
tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata

“O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of heat and cold, happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.” (Bg. 2.14)plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 2.14

O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed. ¶

In the summertime we may feel pleasure from contact with water, but in the winter we may shun that very water because it is too cold. In either case, the water is the same, but we perceive it as pleasant or painful due to its contact with the body. ¶

All feelings of distress and happiness are due to the body. Under certain conditions the body and mind feel happiness and distress. Factually we are hankering after happiness, for the soul’s constitutional position is that of happiness. The soul is part and parcel of the Supreme Being, who is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]—the embodiment of knowledge, bliss, and eternity. Indeed, the very name Kṛṣṇa, which is nonsectarian, means “the greatest pleasure.” Kṛṣ means “greatest,” and ṇa means “pleasure.” Kṛṣṇa is the epitome of pleasure, and being part and parcel of Him, we hanker for pleasure. A drop of ocean water has all the properties of the ocean itself, and we, although minute particles of the Supreme Whole, have the same energetic properties as the Supreme. ¶

The atomic soul, although so small, is moving the entire body to act in so many wonderful ways. In the world we see so many cities, highways, bridges, great buildings, monuments, and great civilizations, but who has done all this? It is all done by the minute spirit spark within the body. If such wonderful things can be performed by the minute spirit spark, we cannot begin to imagine what can be accomplished by the Supreme Spirit Whole. The natural hankering of the minute spirit spark is for the qualities of the whole—knowledge, bliss, and eternality—but these hankerings are being frustrated due to the material body. The information on how to attain the soul’s desire is given in Bhagavad-gītā. ¶

At present we are trying to attain eternity, bliss, and knowledge by means of an imperfect instrument. Actually, our progress toward these goals is being blocked by the material body; therefore we have to come to the realization of our existence beyond the body. Theoretical knowledge that we are not these bodies will not do. We have to keep ourselves always separate as masters of the body, not as servants. If we know how to drive a car well, it will give us good service; but if we do not know how, we will be in danger. ¶

The body is composed of senses, and the senses are always hungry after their objects. The eyes see a beautiful person and tell us, “Oh, there is a beautiful girl, a beautiful boy. Let’s go see.” The ears are telling us, “Oh, there is very nice music. Let us go hear it.” The tongue is saying, “Oh, there is a very nice restaurant with palatable dishes. Let us go.” In this way the senses are dragging us from one place to another, and because of this we are perplexed. ¶

indriyāṇāṁ hi caratāṁ
yan mano ‘nuvidhīyate
tad asya harati prajñāṁ
vāyur nāvam ivāmbhasi

“As a boat on the water is swept away by a strong wind, even one of the senses on which the mind focuses can carry away a man’s intelligence.” (Bg. 2.67)plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 2.67

As a boat on the water is swept away by a strong wind, even one of the senses on which the mind focuses can carry away a man's intelligence. ¶

It is imperative that we learn how to control the senses. The name gosvāmī is given to someone who has learned how to master the senses. Go means “senses,” and svāmī means “controller”; so one who can control the senses is to be considered a gosvāmī. Kṛṣṇa indicates that one who identifies with the illusory material body cannot establish himself in his proper identity as spirit soul. Bodily pleasure is flickering and intoxicating, and we cannot actually enjoy it, because of its momentary nature. Actual pleasure is of the soul, not the body. We have to mold our lives in such a way that we will not be diverted by bodily pleasure. If somehow we are diverted, it is not possible for us to establish our consciousness in its true identity beyond the body. ¶

Bg. 2.44

भोगैश्वर्यप्रसक्तानां तयापहृतचेतसाम् ।
व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिः समाधौ न विधीयते ॥४४॥

Text

bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ
tayāpahṛta-cetasām
vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ
samādhau na vidhīyate

Synonyms

bhogaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigbhoga

cooked food; enjoyment; food; foods; like the bodies; material enjoyment; offering; offering to the Deity; offerings; offerings of food; sense enjoyment; suffering; the eatables; the food; with hoods.—material enjoyment; aiśvaryaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigaiśvarya

and opulence; by opulence; divine power; material opulence; miracle; mystic opulences; mystic power; of opulence; of opulences; opulence; opulences; the opulence; wealth and power.—opulence; prasaktānāmplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigprasaktānām

by us who were too much attached; those who are so attached.—those who are so attached; tayāplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtaya

by her; by Kālakanyā; by such things; by that; by that action; by that bunch of hair from his head; by that knowledge; by that same māyā; by the doe; by the goddess Durgā; by the influence of Yogamāyā; by the Queen; by the same illusory energy; by them; by this process; by which; in association with Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī; with her (Māyā); with her; with it; with that.—by such things; apahṛtaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigapahrta

being plundered; stolen; stolen by illusion; taken away.-cetasāmplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigcetasam

of the heart; whose heart.—bewildered in mind; vyavasāyātmikāplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigvyavasāyātmikā

fixed determination; resolute Kṛṣṇa consciousness.—fixed determination; buddhiḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigbuddhih

intelligence.—devotional service of the Lord; samādhauplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsamādhau

in the controlled mind; in trance; in transcendental consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness; into trance.—in the controlled mind; naplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigna

never; not; are not; but not; cannot; certainly not; could not; did not; do not; does it not; does not; is not; it is not; it is not so; may not; neither; never; never does; never to be; no; no one; none; nor; not; not like that; not preceded by oṁ; not suitable; nothing; or not; shall not; should never; there is none; there is not; there should not be; was not; whether; without.—never; vidhīyateplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigvidhīyate

are intended; does take place; is performed; is procured; worshiped.—does take place. ¶

Translation

In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence, and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination of devotional service to the Supreme Lord does not take place. ¶

Purport

Samādhi means “fixed mind.” The Vedic dictionary, the Nirukti, says, samyag ādhīyate ‘sminn ātmatattva-yāthātmyam: “When the mind is fixed for understanding the self, it is called samādhi. “Samādhi is never possible for persons interested in material sense enjoyment, nor for those who are bewildered by such temporary things. They are more or less condemned by the process of material energy. ¶

Bg. 2.45

त्रैगुण्यविषया वेदा निस्त्रैगुण्यो भवार्जुन ।
निर्द्वन्द्वो नित्यसत्त्वस्थो निर्योगक्षेम आत्मवान् ॥४५॥

Text

trai-guṇya-viṣayā vedā
nistrai-guṇyo bhavārjuna
nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho
niryoga-kṣema ātmavān

Synonyms

traiguṇyaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtraiguṇya

pertaining to the three modes of material nature.—pertaining to the three modes of material nature; viṣayāḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigvisayah

material contamination; possessing as objectives.—on the subject matter; vedāḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigvedah

book of transcendental knowledge; the Vedas, books of knowledge; the Vedas; the original source of knowledge.—Vedic literatures; nistraiguṇyaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bignistraiguṇyaḥ

in a pure state of spiritual existence.—in a pure state of spiritual existence; bhavaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigbhava

and by Lord Śiva; appearance; be; become; by Lord Śiva; compared to the world of nescience (birth, death, old age and disease); from birth; just become; Lord Śiva; material existence; O Lord Śiva; of material existence; of mundane existence; the distress of the repetition of birth and death; the repetition of birth and death; you become; You please be.—be; arjunaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigarjuna

Arjuna; O Arjuna.—O Arjuna; nirdvandvaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bignirdvandvaḥ

free from all dualities; free from the pains of opposites; without duality.—free from the pains of opposites; nityaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bignitya

always; daiiy; daily; eternal; eternally; regular; regularly; regularly, without fail; who are always.-sattvaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsattva

because of the conception of goodness; discretion; existence; goodness; of existence; of goodness; power; steadiness; the mode of goodness; to spiritual existence; transcendental.-sthaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsthah

situated.—ever remaining in sattva (goodness); niryogaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigniryoga

free from (the thought of) acquisition and preservation.-kṣemaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigkṣemaḥ

a son named Kṣema; auspicious; benefit; good fortune; ultimate reality.—free from (the thought of) acquisition and preservation; ātmavānplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigatmavan

a self-realized soul; consciousness; conversant with the self; engaged in devotional service in meditation with great attention; established in the Self; fully self-realized; having conquered his senses; self-realized; self-realized person; the controller of the senses; very learned scholar; well advanced in spiritual knowledge.—established in the Self. ¶

Translation

The Vedas mainly deal with the subject of the three modes of material nature. Rise above these modes, O Arjuna. Be transcendental to all of them. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the Self. ¶

Purport

All material activities involve actions and reactions in the three modes of material nature. They are meant for fruitive results, which cause bondage in the material world. The Vedas deal mostly with fruitive activities to gradually elevate the general public from the field of sense gratification to a position on the transcendental plane. Arjuna, as a student and friend of Lord Kṛṣṇa, is advised to raise himself to the transcendental position of Vedānta philosophy where, in the beginning, there is brahma-jijñāsā, or questions on the Supreme Transcendence. All the living entities who are in the material world are struggling very hard for existence. For them the Lord, after creation of the material world, gave the Vedic wisdom advising how to live and get rid of the material entanglement. When the activities for sense gratification, namely the karma-kāṇḍa chapter, are finished, then the chance for spiritual realization is offered in the form of the Upaniṣads, which are part of different Vedas, as the Bhagavad-gītā is a part of the fifth Veda, namely the Mahābhārata. The Upaniṣads mark the beginning of transcendental life. ¶

As long as the material body exists, there are actions and reactions in the material modes. One has to learn tolerance in the face of dualities such as happiness and distress, or cold and warmth, and by tolerating such dualities become free from anxieties regarding gain and loss. This transcendental position is achieved in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness when one is fully dependant on the good will of Kṛṣṇa ¶

“In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence, and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination for devotional service to the Supreme Lord does not take place. The Vedas deal with the subject of the three modes of material nature. Rise above these modes, O Arjuna. Be transcendental to all of them. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the Self.” (Bg. 2.44–45)plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 2.44

In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence, and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination of devotional service to the Supreme Lord does not take place. ¶

The word veda means “book of knowledge.” There are many books of knowledge, which vary according to the country, population, environment, etc. In India the books of knowledge are referred to as the Vedas. In the West they are called the Old Testament and New Testament. The Muhammadans accept the Koran. What is the purpose for all these books of knowledge? They are to train us to understand our position as pure soul. Their purpose is to restrict bodily activities by certain rules and regulations, and these rules and regulations are known as codes of morality. The Bible, for instance, has ten commandments intended to regulate our lives. The body must be controlled in order for us to reach the highest perfection, and without regulative principles, it is not possible to perfect our lives. The regulative principles may differ from country to country or from scripture to scripture, but that doesn’t matter, for they are made according to the time and circumstances and the mentality of the people. But the principle of regulated control is the same. Similarly, the government sets down certain regulations to be obeyed by its citizens. There is no possibility of making advancement in government or civilization without some regulations. In the previous verse, Śrī Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna that the regulative principles of the Vedas are meant to control the three modes of material nature—goodness, passion, and ignorance (traiguṇya-viṣayā vedāḥ). However, Kṛṣṇa is advising Arjuna to establish himself in his pure constitutional position as spirit soul, beyond the dualities of material nature. ¶

As we have already pointed out, these dualities—such as heat and cold, pleasure and pain—arise due to the contact of the senses with their objects. In other words, they are born of identification with the body. Kṛṣṇa indicates that those who are devoted to enjoyment and power are carried away by the words of the Vedas, which promise heavenly enjoyment by sacrifice and regulated activity. Enjoyment is our birthright, for it is the characteristic of the spirit soul, but the spirit soul tries to enjoy materially, and this is the mistake. ¶

Everyone is turning to material subjects for enjoyment and is compiling as much knowledge as possible. Someone is becoming a chemist, physicist, politician, artist, or whatever. Everyone knows something of everything or everything of something, and this is generally known as knowledge. But as soon as we leave the body, all of this knowledge is vanquished. In a previous life one may have been a great man of knowledge, but in this life he has to start again by going to school and learning how to read and write from the beginning. Whatever knowledge was acquired in the previous life is forgotten. The situation is that we are actually seeking eternal knowledge, but this cannot be acquired by this material body. We are all seeking enjoyment through these bodies, but bodily enjoyment is not our actual enjoyment. It is artificial. We have to understand that if we want to continue in this artificial enjoyment, we will not be able to attain our position of eternal enjoyment. ¶

The body must be considered a diseased condition. A diseased man cannot enjoy himself properly; a man with jaundice, for instance, will taste sugar candy as bitter, but a healthy man can taste its sweetness. In either case, the sugar candy is the same, but according to our condition it tastes different. Unless we are cured of this diseased conception of bodily life, we cannot taste the sweetness of spiritual life. Indeed, it will taste bitter to us. At the same time, by increasing our enjoyment of material life, we are further complicating our diseased condition. A typhoid patient cannot eat solid food, and if someone gives it to him to enjoy, and he eats it, he is further complicating his malady and is endangering his life. If we really want freedom from the miseries of material existence, we must minimize our bodily demands and pleasures. ¶

Actually, material enjoyment is not enjoyment at all. Real enjoyment does not cease. In the Mahābhārata there is a verse—ramante yogino ’nante—to the effect that the yogīs (yogino), those who are endeavoring to elevate themselves to the spiritual platform, are actually enjoying (ramante), but their enjoyment is anante, endless. This is because their enjoyment is in relation to the supreme enjoyer (Rāma), Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the real enjoyer, and Bhagavad-gītā (5.29)plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 5.29

The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries. confirms this: ¶

Bg. 5.29

भोक्तारं यज्ञतपसां सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम् ।
सुहृदं सर्वभूतानां ज्ञात्वा मां शान्तिमृच्छति ॥२९॥

Text

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ
sarva-loka-maheśvaram
suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

Synonyms

bhoktāramplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigbhoktāram

beneficiary.—beneficiary; yajñaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigyajna

asoma sacrifices; in the form of animal sacrifices; Lord Viṣṇu; of sacrifice; of the sacrifice; performance of sacrifices; sacrifice; sacrifices; sacrificial; such a sacrifice; the avatāra named Yajña; the sacrifice; Viṣṇu; Yajña.—sacrifices; tapasāmplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtapasām

of penances and austerities; penances.—of penances and austerities; sarvaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsarva

all; all around; all kinds; all kinds of; all over; everyone; everything; for all; for everyone; in all; in all respects; of all; of all demigods; of all kinds; of everyone; of everything.-lokaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigloka

the region of the Siddhas.—all planets and the demigods thereof; maheśvaramplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigmaheśvaram

supreme master; supreme proprietor; the Supreme Lord.—the Supreme Lord; suhṛdamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsuhrdam

always a well-wisher; benefactor; friends; the greatest friend.—benefactor; sarvaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsarva

all; all around; all kinds; all kinds of; all over; everyone; everything; for all; for everyone; in all; in all respects; of all; of all demigods; of all kinds; of everyone; of everything.—all; bhūtānāmplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigbhūtānām

all living entities; all those who are born; and of all other living entities; living entities; of all living beings; of all living entities; of all the living entities; of all the physical elements; of living beings; of living entities; of the general mass of people; of the infinite living entities; of the living being; of the living beings; of the living entities; of the material elements; of those who have taken material bodies (the conditioned souls); of those who take birth in the material world; the living beings; to all living entities; to ordinary living entities; to some living entities; toward all living entities.—of the living entities; jñātvāplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigjnatva

(the sage) could understand; after understanding; and deciding what to do; and knowing; by knowing; by knowing it; could understand; having known; having understood; knowing; knowing it well; knowing perfectly well; knowing well; thus knowing; understanding; when he learned.—thus knowing; māmplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigmām

about Me; at me; attains me; from me; Me (Kṛṣṇa); Me (Lord Kṛṣṇa); me (the earth); Me (the Supreme Lord); me (Vasiṣṭha); me; Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; My direction; Myself; of myself; to Me; unto me; upon me.—Me (Lord Kṛṣṇa); śāntimplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigśāntim

cessation; peace; perfect peace; relief from material pangs; youthfulness for sense gratification; Śānti.—relief from material pangs; ṛcchatiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigṛcchati

accepts; achieves; attains; crosses; enjoy; obtain; obtains.—achieves. ¶

Translation

The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries. ¶

Purport

The conditioned souls within the clutches of illusory energy are all anxious to attain peace in the material world. But they do not know the formula for peace, which is explained in this part of the Bhagavad-gītā. The greatest peace formula is simply this: Lord Kṛṣṇa is the beneficiary in all human activities. Men should offer everything to the transcendental service of the Lord because He is the proprietor of all planets and the demigods thereon. No one is greater than He. He is greater than the greatest of the demigods, Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. In the Vedas the Supreme Lord is described as tam īśvarāṇāṁ paramaṁ maheśvaram. Under the spell of illusion, living entities are trying to be lords of all they survey, but actually they are dominated by the material energy of the Lord. The Lord is the master of material nature, and the conditioned souls are under the stringent rules of material nature. Unless one understands these bare facts, it is not possible to achieve peace in the world either individually or collectively. This is the sense of Kssna consciousness: Lord Kṛṣṇa is the supreme predominator, and all living entities, including the great demigods, are His subordinates. One can attain perfect peace only in complete Kṛṣṇa consciousness. ¶

This Fifth Chapter is a practical explanation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, generally known as karma-yoga. The question of mental speculation as to how karma-yoga can give liberation is answered herewith. To work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is to work with the complete knowledge of the Lord as the predominator. Such work is not different from transcendental knowledge. Direct Kṛṣṇa consciousness is bhakti-yoga, and jñāna-yoga is a path leading to bhakti-yoga. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to work in full knowledge of one’s relationship with the Supreme Absolute, and the perfection of this consciousness is full knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A pure soul is the eternal servant of God as His fragmental part and parcel. He comes into contact with māyā (illusion) due to the desire to lord it over māyā, and that is the cause of his many sufferings. As long as he is in contact with matter, he has to execute work in terms of material necessities. Kṛṣṇa consciousness, however, brings one into spiritual life even while one is within the jurisdiction of matter, for it is an arousing of spiritual existence by practice in the material world. The more one is advanced, the more he is freed from the clutches of matter. The Lord is not partial toward anyone. Everything depends on one’s practical performance of duties in an effort to control the senses and conquer the influence of desire and anger. And, attaining Kṛṣṇa consciousness by controlling the above-mentioned passions, one remains factually in the transcendental stage, or brahman-nirvāṇa. The eightfold yoga mysticism is automatically practiced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness because the ultimate purpose is served. There is gradual process of elevation in the practice of yama, niyama, āsana, pratyāhāra, dhyāna, dhāraṇā, prāṇāyāma, and samādhi. But these only preface perfection by devotional service, which alone can award peace to the human being. It is the highest perfection of life. ¶

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Fifth Chapter of the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā in the matter of Karma-yoga, or Action in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. ¶

“The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate enjoyer of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.” ¶

Bhoga means “enjoyment,” and our enjoyment comes from understanding our position as the enjoyed. The real enjoyer is the Supreme Lord, and we are enjoyed by Him. ¶

An example of this relationship can be found in the material world between the husband and the wife: the husband is the enjoyer (puruṣa), and the wife is the enjoyed (prakṛti). The word pri means “woman.” Puruṣa, or spirit, is the subject, and prakṛti, or nature, is the object. The enjoyment, however, is participated in both by the husband and the wife. When actual enjoyment is there, there is no distinction that the husband is enjoying more or the wife is enjoying less. Although the male is the predominator and the female is the predominated, there is no division when it comes to enjoyment. On a larger scale, no living entity is the enjoyer. ¶

God expanded into many, and we constitute those expansions. God is one without a second, but He willed to become many in order to enjoy. We have experience that there is little or no enjoyment in sitting alone in a room talking to oneself. However, if there are five people present, our enjoyment is enhanced, and if we can discuss Kṛṣṇa before many, many people, the enjoyment is all the greater. Enjoyment means variety. God became many for His enjoyment, and thus our position is that of the enjoyed. That is our constitutional position and the purpose for our creation. Both enjoyer and enjoyed have consciousness, but the consciousness of the enjoyed is subordinate to the consciousness of the enjoyer. Although Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer and we the enjoyed, the enjoyment can be participated in equally by everyone. Our enjoyment can be perfected when we participate in the enjoyment of God. There is no possibility of our enjoying separately on the bodily platform. Material enjoyment on the gross bodily platform is discouraged throughout Bhagavad-gītā. ¶

Bg. 2.14

मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः ।
आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत ॥१४॥

Text

mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ
āgamāpāyino ‘nityās
tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata

Synonyms

mātrāplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigmatra

any; only; simply; the objects of the senses; up to.—sensuous; sparśāḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsparsah

the set of letters from ka to ma; the subtle element touch.—perception; tuplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtu

again; also; and; as to; as well as; but (because of misfortune); but; certainly; due to; expletive; however; in fact; indeed; moreover; must; of course; on the contrary; only; that; then; yet.—only; kaunteyaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigkaunteya

O son of Kuntī.—O son of Kuntī; śītaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsita

white.—winter; uṣṇaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_biguṣṇa

and in scorching heat; heat; hot; in the summer; scorching heat; summer.—summer; sukhaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsukha

awakening of happiness; by happiness; by the happiness; easily; happily; happiness; happinesses; in happiness; of happiness; of the happiness; so-called happiness; the happiness; the happiness derived from these things; the satisfaction.—happiness; duḥkhaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigduhkha

aggrieved; all distresses; difficulties; difficulty; disappointment; distress; distressed condition; grief; in distress; inconvenience; misery; of grief; of unhappiness; pains; the troubles; the unhappiness; trouble; troubles; unhappiness; unhappy.-daḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigdah

givers.—giving pain; āgamaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigāgama

appearing; of the Vedas; other transcendental literatures; the tantra-śāstras; Vedic principles; with the expectation; works of Vedic literature.—appearing; apāyinaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigapāyinaḥ

disappearing.—disappearing; anityāḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_biganityah

temporary.—nonpermanent; tānplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtan

about them; all of them; all the demigods and demons; all the members; all the saintly persons; all the sons; all the Yakṣas; all those; all those boys; arrows; as they came there; materialistic activities; such conditions; such persons; such principles; such rogues and ruffians; that those calves were going away; the class friends; the demons and Rākṣasas; the lotus feet of the Lord; their; them (family members); them (the demigods); them (the soldiers of the demigods); them (the sons of Prajāpati Dakṣa known as the Savalāśvas); them (the trees); them; they are; things created by the material energy; those; those benedictions; those persons; those planets; those reciters; those same persons; those sense objects; those Yakṣas; to all of them; to the demigods; to the order carriers of Lord Viṣṇu; to them; unto all of them; unto the demigods; unto the Kumāras, as above mentioned; unto the materially attached persons; unto the Pracetās; unto them (the demigods); unto them (the lamenting queens); unto them (the sons of the demons); unto them.—all of them; titikṣasvaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtitikṣasva

just try to tolerate.—just try to tolerate; bhārataplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigbharata

Lord Bharata; the descendants of King Bharata.—O descendant of the Bhārata dynasty. ¶

Translation

O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed. ¶

Purport

In the proper discharge of duty, one has to learn to tolerate nonpermanent appearances and disappearances of happiness and distress. According to Vedic injunction, one has to take his bath early in the morning even during the month of Māgha (January-February). It is very cold at that time, but in spite of that a man who abides by the religious principles does not hesitate to take his bath. Similarly, a woman does not hesitate to cook in the kitchen in the months of May and June, the hottest part of the summer season. One has to execute his duty in spite of climatic inconveniences. Similarly, to fight is the religious principle of the kṣatriyas, and although one has to fight with some friend or relative, one should not deviate from his prescribed duty. One has to follow the prescribed rules and regulations of religious principles in order to rise up to the platform of knowledge because by knowledge and devotion only can one liberate himself from the clutches of māyā (illusion). ¶

The two different names of address given to Arjuna are also significant. To address him as Kaunteya signifies his great blood relations from his mother’s side; and to address him as Bhārata signifies his greatness from his father’s side. From both sides he is supposed to have a great heritage. A great heritage brings responsibility in the matter of proper discharge of duties; therefore, he cannot avoid fighting. ¶

The gross material body is a result of the interaction of the modes of material nature, and it is doomed to destruction. ¶

Bg. 2.18

अन्तवन्त इमे देहा नित्यस्योक्ताः शरीरिणः ।
अनाशिनोऽप्रमेयस्य तस्माद्युध्यस्व भारत ॥१८॥

Text

antavanta ime dehā
nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ
anāśino ‘prameyasya
tasmād yudhyasva bhārata

Synonyms

antavantaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigantavantaḥ

perishable; subject to.—perishable; imeplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigime

all; all of them; all of these; all these; all these things; in all these; these; these material creations, made of material energy; these senses (do not be under the control of your senses); these two.—all these; dehāḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigdehah

another body; body; her body; his body; material body and mind; the body; the material body; the same body; this body; this material body; transcendental body.—material bodies; nityasyaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bignityasya

eternal in existence; of the eternal.—eternal in existence; uktāḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_biguktah

addressed; aforementioned; already been said; being advised; being asked; being spoken; celebrated; challenged; described; having been requested; is said; known; known as such; said; spoken; was told; when advised.—it is so said; sarīriṇaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsaririnah

the embodied souls.—the embodied souls; anāśinaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_biganāśinaḥ

never to be destroyed.—never to be destroyed; aprameyasyaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigaprameyasya

immeasurable; of the Transcendence.—immeasurable; tasmātplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtasmāt

and above such worship of Lord Viṣṇu; and from Dharmaketu; because of being satisfied by things easily obtained; because of this; for this reason; from Aja; from Balasthala; from Barhi; from Devarāta; from Dhṛṣṭaketu; from Harita; from him (Akrodhana); from him (Bharuka); from him (Bṛhadratha); from him (Bṛhanmanā); from him (Dundubhi); from him (Durmada); from him (Haryaśva); from him (Kevala); from him (Khalapāna); from him (Khanitra); from him (King Pṛthuṣeṇa); from him (Mahasvān); from him (Manusyu); from him (Medhātithi); from him (Pariplava); from him (Pṛṣata); from him (Sudyu); from him (Udaksena); from him (Uśika); from him (Vidūratha); from him (Śuciratha); from him; from Kṛtirāta; from Kṣemādhi; from Kṣudraka; from Maru; from Mithila; from Prasenajit; from Pratīpaka; from Sañjaya; from Sindhudvīpa; from such a person; from Sumati; from that; from that fire; from that place; from the mouth of the crocodile; from the person named Devadatta; from there; from within the universe; on account of death; than him; the sphere of the seven stars; therefore (because I am the Supreme); therefore (because of being fully dependent on the pleasure of the Supreme Personality of Godhead); therefore; therefrom; thus.—therefore; yudhyasvaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigyudhyasva

fight; just fight.—fight; bhārataplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigbharata

Lord Bharata; the descendants of King Bharata.—O descendant of Bharata. ¶

Translation

Only the material body of the indestructible, immeasurable and eternal living entity is subject to destruction; therefore, fight, O descendant of Bharata. ¶

Purport

The material body is perishable by nature. It may perish immediately, or it may do so after a hundred years. It is a question of time only. There is no chance of maintaining it indefinitely. But the spirit soul is so minute that it cannot even be seen by an enemy, to say nothing of being killed. As mentioned in the previous verse, it is so small that no one can have any idea how to measure its dimension. So from both viewpoints there is no cause of lamentation because the living entity can neither be killed as he is, nor can the material body, which cannot be saved for any length of time, be permanently protected. The minute particle of the whole spirit acquires this material body according to his work, and therefore observance of religious principles should be utilized. In the Vedānta-sūtras the living entity is qualified as light because he is part and parcel of the supreme light. As sunlight maintains the entire universe, so the light of the soul maintains this material body. As soon as the spirit soul is out of this material body, the body begins to decompose; therefore it is the spirit soul which maintains this body. The body itself is unimportant. Arjuna was advised to fight and sacrifice the material body for the cause of religion. ¶

“Only the material body of the indestructible, immeasurable, and eternal living entity is subject to destruction; therefore, fight, O descendant of Bharata.” (Bg. 2.18)plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 2.18

Only the material body of the indestructible, immeasurable and eternal living entity is subject to destruction; therefore, fight, O descendant of Bharata. ¶

Śrī Kṛṣṇa therefore encourages us to transcend the bodily conception of existence and attain to our actual spiritual life. ¶

Bg. 14.20

गुणानेतानतीत्य त्रीन्देही देहसमुद्भवान् ।
जन्ममृत्युजरादुःखैर्विमुक्तोऽमृतमश्नुते ॥२०॥

Text

guṇān etān atītya trīn
dehī deha-samudbhavān
janma-mṛtyu-jarā-duḥkhair
vimukto ‘mṛtam aśnute

Synonyms

guṇānplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigguṇān

all qualities; all the modes of material nature; different qualities (fruits and flowers); modes of nature; qualities; spiritual qualities; the attributes; the manifestation of the three modes of material nature; the material modes; the material qualities; the modes; the modes of; the modes of material nature; the qualities; the qualities of the material nature; the three modes of material nature; the three modes of nature; the transcendental qualities; three modes of nature; transcendental qualities; various material qualities; virtues.—qualities; etānplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigetān

all of them; all these; all these soldiers of the demigods; all this; these; those who are attached to Kṛṣṇa; unto them.—all these; atītyaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigatītya

after passing through; overpassing; surpassing; transcending.—transcending; trīnplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtrīn

the three; the three categories of experience (happiness, distress and a mixture of both); three (divisions); three (upper, lower and middle); three; within the three worlds.—three; dehīplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigdehi

and give; and the proprietor of the body; give; give in charity; just give to Him (in charity); kindly exhibit; of the embodied; please deliver; please give.—body; dehaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigdeha

a body; apply; bodies; body; deliver; expansion of the body; give; give Me; in the body; kindly award; kindly give; kindly give it to me; My body; of a material body; of the body; of this body; offer; please award; please give; the body; the gross body and subtle mind; the gross material body; the material body; the spiritual body; this body; with the body; You give; you put.—body; samudbhavānplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsamudbhavān

produced of.—produced of; janmaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigjanma

after births; appearance; aristocracy or nobility; aristocratic birth; birth; birth in a very polished, aristocratic family; births; by birth; by birth in an aristocratic family; creation; generation; good birth; of birth; of births; of the birth; such a birth; the appearance; the birth; the creation; the whole life; time of birth; whose birth.—birth; mṛtyuplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigmrtyu

death; of death; that; untimely death; while dying.—death; jarāplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigjara

old age; old age, invalidity.—old age; duḥkhaiḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigduḥkhaiḥ

by miseries; by the threefold miseries of material life; by tribulations; distresses.—distresses; vimuktaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigvimuktah

being freed; being freed from; being liberated; liberated; was immediately freed.—being freed from; amṛtamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigamṛtam

Amṛta; deathlessness; eternal life; eternity of life; generation of the nectar; giving pleasure; happiness; immortality; indestructible; milk, which is like nectar; nectar; nectar for eternal life; nectar or milk; nectarean; never to be vanquished; the ambrosia; the embodiment of bliss; the nectar; the path of eternal life; the profession of amṛta; the results of sacrifice; understanding; very sweet; without deterioration.—nectar; aśnuteplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigaśnute

achieve; achieves; attains; enjoys; he enjoys; one enjoys; suffers; taste.—enjoys. ¶

Translation

When the embodied being is able to transcend these three modes, he can become free from birth, death, old age and their distresses and can enjoy nectar even in this life. ¶

Purport

How one can stay in the transcendental position, even in this body, in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is explained in this verse. The Sanskrit word dehī means embodied. Although one is within this material body, by his advancement in spiritual knowledge he can be free from the influence of the modes of nature. He can enjoy the happiness of spiritual life even in this body because, after leaving this body, he is certainly going to the spiritual sky. But even in this body he can enjoy spiritual happiness. In other words, devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the sign of liberation from this material entanglement, and this will be explained in the Eighteenth Chapter. When one is freed from the influence of the modes of material nature, he enters into devotional service. ¶

“When the embodied being is able to transcend these three modes [goodness, passion, and ignorance], he can become free from birth, death, old age, and their distresses and can enjoy nectar even in this life.” (Bg. 14.20)plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 14.20

When the embodied being is able to transcend these three modes, he can become free from birth, death, old age and their distresses and can enjoy nectar even in this life. ¶

To establish ourselves on the pure brahma-bhūta spiritual platform, above the three modes, we must take up the method of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The gift of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the chanting of the names of Kṛṣṇa—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—facilitates this process. This method is called bhakti-yoga or mantra-yoga, and it is employed by the highest transcendentalists. How the transcendentalists realize their identity beyond birth and death, beyond the material body, and transfer themselves from the material universe to the spiritual universes are the subjects of the following chapters. ¶